If you’re tired of hearing about Michelle Obama’s style, you’re not alone. For more than two years, the media has picked apart seemingly every piece of the First Lady’s wardrobe, pitting her against similarly stylish first ladies from around the globe. But now a new take on Mrs. O’s style has surfaced, and it’s well worth paying attention to given its economic implications. Simply put: Mrs. Obama is a one-woman stimulus plan. A new study, published in the Harvard Business Review this week, “Found that following 189 public appearances between November 2008 and December 2009, Michelle Obama created $2.7 billion in cumulative abnormal returns.” This financial jolt has translated into an additional $2.7 billion in stock for the 29 companies polled – Nina Ricci, J. Crew, GAP, and Calvin Klein included.

“Her secret lies in her authenticity – as a figure on the political periphery, she is imbued with an almost moral standing that other figures in the fashion arena are not,” according to the Independent, adding that most of the brands Mrs. O dons are relatively affordable, as opposed to, say, Carla Bruni’s allegiance to Christian Dior. At a time when the fashion industry is battling hard to overcome financial hardships brought on by the economic downturn, there’s no discounting how much a single, very public figure has done to benefit a slew of American brands – and for style in DC, the capital of bland fashion. (Source: Fashioneer)